As an Ordinary person (Why do I keep attracting Psychopaths?)

Inside the academy cafeteria's catering section, the scent of sizzling meat and fragrant spices lingered in the air as Yuna busied herself instructing the four cooks on how to prepare another meal. The Heart class cafeteria had quickly become a hub of activity, with students chattering and working together in a surprisingly efficient manner.

Among them, an unexpected figure stood out—a noble from the Heart class, sleeves rolled up as he eagerly handled ingredients with the finesse of a seasoned chef. Unlike the usual prideful, hands-off demeanor of noble children, this one had volunteered to learn how to cook without a second thought. His enthusiasm contrasted starkly with the more reserved attitudes of his peers, making his presence a peculiar but welcome addition to the kitchen.

At that moment, Austin stepped inside. As usual, his presence was immediately felt, his every movement quiet yet commanding. Even without making a sound, he naturally drew attention, and before Yuna could notice him, her classmates were already nudging her in the ribs, exchanging knowing glances.

"He's here again," someone whispered in amusement.

Yuna followed their gazes and found Austin approaching her, his piercing eyes locked onto her as if she were the only person in the room. His visits had become a routine occurrence. This time, as expected, he was carrying something—another delivery of freshly hunted meat.

She greeted him naturally, her tone as indifferent as ever. "Oh, more meat?"

Without hesitation, she accepted the large bundle from him. To the other students, this casual acceptance might seem odd, but to Yuna, it was as natural as breathing. Ever since their time in Huin Town, Austin had always shared half of his hunts with her and her grandfather. Over time, the act became so familiar that neither of them thought twice about it.

As soon as she secured the meat, Yuna promptly handed him a large bowl of food. "Eat." Her tone was brisk, as if feeding him was just another daily task.

Austin's lips curved into a faint smile as he accepted the meal, his eyes softening. This was something only he was privy to—the quiet care hidden in her otherwise detached demeanor. Even if she didn't express it verbally, she never let him go hungry.

As he sat down and started eating, he began talking about his recent progress. Austin had always made a habit of reporting his training and growth to Yuna, whether she paid attention or not. He spoke about the creatures he had hunted, the refinement of his techniques, and the slight improvements in his mana control—all in a steady, almost rhythmic manner.

Yuna, meanwhile, only half-listened as she sorted through the ingredients on the counter.

Then, Austin suddenly brought up something unexpected.

"By the way, I heard something interesting," he said between bites, his tone deceptively casual. "It seems like no one outside of the Heart class knows who your class representative is."

Yuna raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She turned toward her classmates, who were watching the conversation unfold with barely concealed amusement. Instead of answering, they merely exchanged sly smiles, a silent agreement passing between them.

One of them shrugged, grinning. "We just don't feel like telling anyone."

Another chuckled. "Let them wonder. It makes things more fun."

A few overenthusiastic minds in the Heart class had taken a liking to the idea of a "powerful figure lurking in the shadows," and they had unanimously agreed to keep Yuna's position a secret from the other card classes. Since she rarely made a show of herself outside of class meetings, it was surprisingly easy to maintain the mystery.

Yuna tilted her head, unimpressed. "That sounds like too much effort."

Her classmates only laughed in response.

The secrecy was actually working in their favor. To the other card classes, Yuna was nothing more than a quiet presence—a student who blended so seamlessly into the background that she was often overlooked. Her habit of sticking close to Austin for free meals painted her as someone unremarkable, even parasitic.

No one suspected that the very person they dismissed was the one orchestrating the systems and reforms that had taken root in Evigheden Academy.

And Yuna, in her usual apathetic manner, saw no reason to correct their assumption.

The lively kitchen of the Heart class's cafeteria bustled with activity as a group of students chattered away while preparing the day's meals. A topic of great interest had been brewing among them lately—the duel system Yuna had proposed.

"I think it's a great idea," one cook said, expertly flipping a slab of meat on the pan. "We should test ourselves more. I mean, sparring is a good way to figure out our weaknesses, right?"

"Yeah, and it'll be a good chance to show those other card classes that we're not weak chickens."

A round of agreement hummed through the room.

Austin, who had been silently leaning against the doorway as usual, observing Yuna with his ever-present attention, finally spoke up. "If you're planning to hold duels, I can help," he offered in his low, steady voice. "I can give you all some pointers."

He wasn't even looking at the cooks. His gaze was on Yuna, gauging her reaction.

As expected, she did not disappoint.

"No," Yuna said without hesitation, not even bothering to glance up from where she was stirring a pot of soup.

The kitchen fell into silence for a moment.

"…No?" one of her classmates echoed in confusion.

Austin, on the other hand, felt something deep in his chest tighten—before a slow, pleased warmth spread through him.

"Why not?" Another cook asked, puzzled. "Austin's strong, and his advice would really help us."

Yuna finally sighed, placing down the ladle before turning to them. "Because I don't want you all to benefit from Austin." She spoke so matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Her tone is somewhat hateful, as if Austin is her servant or a possession she don't want to share.

Austin's grip on the doorframe tightened slightly, heart thudding at her words.

"I don't want you lot mingling with the other card classes either. Heart class should remain as heart class." Yuna's voice was steady, indifferent, yet carried an underlying certainty. "We'll do things on our own."

Adding other card classes in her plan, isn't that more work???

Her classmates blinked at her, then… grinned.

"Ahhh, I see. So we're special compared to the others."

"Not just special—exclusive," someone added, a chuckle escaping them.

"Heart class supremacy, huh? I kind of like that."

Their lips tugged up against their will, mirroring one another's growing amusement.

Austin, meanwhile, was practically glowing inside.

She didn't want others to benefit from him. He thought.

She didn't want others to interact too much with her class. Her classmate thought.

It was selfish. Controlling. Possessive.

And it made his heart pound in a way that nearly made him breathless.

Of course, Yuna had her own reasoning for it, though she didn't bother explaining. If she did, they might want to sagged her so she wisely chooses not to be straightforward in this matter. Ahem.

To her, Austin was the main character in those power-up novels she had read before. A protagonist who needed to develop on his own, without interference from side characters. Letting her classmates receive his pointers felt wrong—like breaking the unspoken rule that passerby should not meddle in the protagonist's growth.

As a reader, it felt wrong you know.

She can't help but treat the main character differently!

If she calls them passerby, her fragile classmates might explode on the spot.

And let talk about her classmates.

They were… weird. She didn't know exactly when they had turned out this way, but she had a vague suspicion that if she let them interact too much with others, they might end up influencing them in bizarre ways.

Or worse—being influenced themselves.

They were gullible. What if the other card classes deceived them?

No, no, no. They were already so few in number; it was better to keep them close, preserve their autonomy—like a small tribal community.

And more than that, if they started making connections outside their own class… wouldn't that mean she'd have to manage those interactions?

All others are excuses, this is the most important point, cough....

Managing the interpersonal relationship between heart class and other card class, isn't that adding more work to herself? Graciously, she declined!

More work?

What a nightmare.

Absolutely not.

No matter what, she was not going to create more work for herself.

So, with her arms crossed, she looked at her classmates, who were now suspiciously happy about this declaration—it…it seems their weird brain made up or come up with weird conclusion once again, she has long stop trying to understand what churn in their weird head, and their was Austin, who was watching her with an expression that she couldn't quite decipher—but which made her instincts tingle in warning.

"…What?" she asked, frowning.

Austin's lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile.

"Nothing," he murmured, finally stepping further into the room.

Alright, Austin is weird time to time too.